Many ads suggest that it is... In order to list a meat source first on the bag label pet food companies resort to a variety of gimmicks. Here are a few to get you thinking.

1st Listing, a "wet" ingredient in what ends up being an essentially dry finished product. Wet meat gets a lot lighter when the moisture is cooked out. This labeling loophole is blatantly deceptive to the general public. All ingredients should be weighed and listed in dry weight equivalents for you to know truly how much of each makes up the ration. If the label lists, "chicken" it means chicken weighed when wet. Drop 75% of the value. If, on the other hand, it says, "chicken meal" they play fairly. If it says, "meat (any type) by-product meal" or "meat (any type) by-products" it was never meat to begin with. Find another food.

Another gimmick is to "split carbohydrates" (grains) into multiple parts to get the "meat" to list first. Label ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. So, If you have 10 lbs. of chicken meal and 25 lbs. of rice, which should appear first on the label? Chicken of course! (if you want people to buy the stuff).
Here's how it's done...

Pretty sneaky and obviously deceptive unless you know the trick.
Rice Flour, Brewer's Rice and Rice ala Ronny could also have been listed if they really wanted to be fancy. A related tactic is to use a variety of grains with different names to get meat listed first. This is slightly more valid since they have different amino acid profiles and are truly different ingredients. Grains cost a lot less than meat. Meat "by-products" cost a lot less than meat. Both also have considerably less food value. The last gimmick for now is the campaign to convince the public that meat by-products and meat are just about the same thing.
Hmm... "Honey, I'm having a ribeye steak tonight and you're having a nice pile of by-products, ok?" "Would you like the chicken breast or the intestine-cartilage-beak medley with your rice, Bob?" "Well gee Dear, doesn't really make any difference to me, they all sound equally delicious, nutritious and healthy!"

By definition, by-products may contain anything from the specified animal except, (in the case of chicken), feathers and feces and, (in the case of beef), hoof, hide and feces. Meat and fat are separated out first because they are costlier and are therefore not present in any appreciable quantity. What's left is the bones, tendons, cartilage, beaks, feet and innards. Proudly displayed and masqueraded as meat. A pet food bag is not a place for dumping stuff of unknown nutritional value. Some foods even use the term , "SELECT by-products". All these contortions serve one purpose; To make you think that you're getting more meat than you really are in your bag of pet food. After all, who'd pay $35 for a bushel of corn?! Well, keep reading!

2. The cooking process used in pet foods KILLS off a vital component: enzymes.

In order to eliminate bacteria and make cutesy shapes that pets care nothing about, processing temperatures in excess of 160 degress F are used to extrude or bake your pet's food.

So what? Well, glad you asked. This places the entire burden for digestion on your pet's pancreas to supply the enzymes necessary for breaking down nutrients for absorption. In nature, this is far from the case. Animals naturally follow the path of "least digestive resistance" in the wild. Consider the fox who catches a rabbit. First item on the menu is the contents of the gut. Let the rabbit do the digesting and enjoy! The rabbit spent hours nibbling grasses and grains readying them for the fox's easy absorption of carbohydrates. Quick and cheap fuel. Next the fox buries or hides the rest to stew a spell. What we call, "turning rancid" the fox calls, "just getting better". In a couple days, the live enzymes in the rabbit meat have broken it down into easily digested protein. Notice how no fire was used in this process? For dessert, a little bone gnawing for the marrow, the calcium, and the teeth cleaning, and it's naptime. Left for the lower animals in the hierarchy are most of the by-products and the hide.

Let's get back to your pet. In puppies and kittens, the pancreas is usually robust and up to the task of supplying sufficient digestive enzymes to make dead food somewhat useable and fulfill it's other vital functions. With age, however, pancreatic function is weakened and often can't keep up with this undue burden. If the pet food fed day in and day out is of low nutritional value to begin with, the taxing effect on the system will be all the greater and the pancreas will most likely give up that much sooner. The consequences to your pet's health are too broad in scope to cover here.

3. Giving "real food" aka "table scraps" is the RIGHT thing to do!

Stepping on a lot of toes here to smash the myth that you should only feed the stuff from the bag and nothing else ever, PERIOD. What is it they are afraid of anyway? That your pet will learn to beg? Unlearn that. That your pet won't eat the chaff they call "food" after tasting the real deal? Probably. Or that it will throw the delicate balance of their finely tuned "nutrition" out of whack somehow? He He Hoo, hardly.

Here's the scoop... Providing real food (not potato chips or other junk food) in its raw form counteracts some of the deficit that can be caused by only feeding commercially prepared pet food. It can provide the living enzymes to make digestion an easy rather than burdensome process. But, don't just go wild and throw everything in the feeding trough. Good bets for pets are raw carrots, broccoli, yogurt, cheese, garlic and meats. Cooked oatmeal, rice, corn, squash and the like are fine too. Don't feed raw grains, legumes, potatoes, onions, celery or chocolate which are either unusable or unhealthy. If you aren't comfortable with raw meat and fish, don't do it. Keep in mind, they aren't people and have an entirely different gastro-intestinal system than we do. Introduce new foods a little at a time about three times a week to start and give your pet's pancreas a much needed break.

4. Most "vet recommended" foods pay mightily for the "honor".

Does it matter that the majority of vets know very little about pet nutrition? The public is told to, "Ask your vet". The vet is told by the pet food companies, "we'll send you to Hawaii for a week of golf if you sell and endorse XYZ brand pet food". In school, vets-to-be could ELECT to take an overview course in animal nutrition. Or not. There have been changes of late to make this required study. AS IT WELL SHOULD BE!

You are miles ahead if you understand the pet food label yourself and take the time to learn some basic nutritional concepts. It's not that complicated! Find out for yourself, trust your own judgement and ignore what people say who are getting paid to say it.

Without mentioning any names, if it lists corn as the first ingredient on the label and gets blasted by the competition for it, you know the company. Read the label! Compare it to the cheapest stuff you can find. There isn't a dimes worth of difference in most cases.

How much does it cost them to make a 40 lb. bag of this stuff you may wonder? Right? Sit down.
How about less than $3 including the cost of the bag? How much does the duped public shell out for the bushel of corn and peanut shells most recommended by vets? About $35. "Have a nice flight to Maui, Dr. Cutter and thanks again for your support".

Thankfully, these foods are on the steep decline but aren't gone yet. Perhaps killing your customers isn't a good way to develop long term brand loyalty. These toxic morsels are so loaded with chemicals to stay soft and prevent molding and so laden with sugar to cover the harsh chemical taste, they rip a pet's insides out. The sweetness is addictive and you'll hear owners say, "Fifi just won't eat anything else". Well, then better buy the small bag because who knows how long Fifi will be eating at all? Anybody feeding this garbage should stop at once and the manufacturers of it should be faced with a class action.

7. Many companies have "slithered" away from using ETHOXYQUIN.

The once popular, and staunchly defended as safe, preservative (antioxidant) called "Ethoxyquin" has been mostly abandoned because of "hushed" litigation and settlements with professional breeders. It formerly was championed by pet food manufacturers (and others) as an advanced and healthy inclusion in pet food in an attempt to hide the fact that it was never intended to be eaten, much less on a daily basis. It was originally formulated as a rubber stabilizer and a color retention agent. Tires stayed pliable and spices stayed red. Despite efforts to get it approved as a food stabilizing agent in people food, it is only allowed for extremely limited application with colored spices. The people who know the devastating truth about this ingredient when eaten daily by pets have been paid off and forced to never tell their stories. There are innumerable instances of stillbirth, sudden liver failure, kidney dysfunction, permanent pigment changes, tumors and death thought to be caused by the addition of this wonder substance to pet food starting in about 1987. Much of the talk about ethoxyquin has quieted since the major pet food companies jumped off the bandwagon and switched to safer (and less legally troublesome) preservatives like forms of vitamins C. If they want the trust of the public, they should own up to their mistakes and come clean. Fat chance. All you'll get is denial.

8. Nature didn't intend for pets to eat dry food devoid of enzymes.

Convenience is paid for in reduced pet health. Where is it written that your pet's bowl has to be filled with chalk dry nuggets of quasi-nutritious ground up brown stuff? We've been sold on a bad idea. We bought it because it made life easier. Until the real bill comes, that is. But doesn't kibbled food make their teeth shiny and their breath fresh? Won't their teeth fall out if they eat soft stuff? Yeah, right. Ever watch your dog eat? Does it look like some kind of teeth cleaning exercise? How about the cat? Really getting the old gum line clean huh? The truth about teeth cleaning is this... sticks, rocks, yarn, bones, toys and saliva primarily accomplish this task, not food. Commercial pet food has to be flavor enhanced with digest and sprayed-on fat to be even remotely attractive to your pet. Without these palatability modifications, the old dry kibble would just sit there and get dusty. People get paid big money to invent coatings to make your pet dive headfirst into the food bowl. Because then you smile and feel like it must be healthy and that Fifi loves the food and you too so you'll buy it again. Right? Remember, the fox didn't go in search of a crunchy rabbit. It ate the soft one and it has a dazzling smile and a fully charged pancreas.

9. Some companies sneak sugar into pet food to hook your pet.

Watch out for these guys! They call it other things of course... (cane molasses, corn syrup) but it absolutely does not belong in your pet's food bowl. Processed sugars are foreign to dogs and cats and over the long term can result in obesity, tooth decay and diabetes (along with other maladies). Until 2 years ago, propylene glycol was being used as a sweet tasting preservative by those who must have cared much more about shelf life than about pet health. Thankfully, it has finally been banned. Pet food companies will tell you that the industry is tightly regulated and that your pet's health is being fastidiously protected. Do you buy that one? The FDA can't even keep up with human food and didn't lift a finger on behalf of the pet owners during the ethoxyquin debate.

The regulating body for pet food ingredients is AAFCO. The American Association of Feed Control Officials. The rules and definitions they adopt are made by those with vested interests and are enforced through "voluntary compliance". The fox guards the rabbit hutch here.

10. Almost all manufacturers use stool hardening agents in pet food.

Convenience again triumphs over pet health. Stool modifiers make clean up easier and mask the effects of nutrient malabsorption. Who's going to buy a pet food if you've got to SCRAPE up after your dog? It's easier to just stack those little bricks into a pile or kick them elsewhere. Consider however the strain on your pet's innards. Would you put concrete mix in your pancake batter? How about sawdust? If you were dieting, would you mix ground peanut shells into your breakfast cereal? Well, they do all that and more for your beloved pet. See if any of these made it into your pet food bag: sodium bentonite, powdered cellulose, beet pulp, tomato (or any other) pomace, ground peanut shells? The explanation for including these usually is that they are fiber sources for your pet's well being. Maybe a little truth there but not the real reason they are added. Whole grains provide great fiber content. A bit of bran would do well too. The real goal is to make you buy the food again because clean up time is so easy and enjoyable with brand XYZ's designer stools. Before you do this to your pet, try it yourself for a few days. One question to ask a company representative is this, "Aren't there times when my pet needs to evacuate it's system rapidly such as when a toxin is ingested or when the kitty or doggy flu comes around? Is having a cork in there at all times really a good idea? You'll then likely hear mumbling about "Our research..." and "regulating intestinal transit time for optimal nutrient absorption". Do you buy that one? If the food is good and fed properly, stools will be fine without forcing your pet to work a brick through their digestive and excretory systems.

I've heard about a lot of what you said from a friend of mine! She only feeds her dogs chicken that she has raised every month and killed just for them.. Haha. And a variety of other things like fish and what not.. But never any kibble.

I asked her what was the next best thing to that if I were to still feed my dog kibble. She recommended a few and we ended up buying California Natural. My dog really likes it.. And I have studied a bit on what was in it, but do you know much about that brand specifically?

I'm definitely not willing to buy what the vets tell me if it's bad for my dog.. I know that raising chickens for my dog may be a bit excessive, but if it's tons better for her, then I might look into it.

I guess I'm confused because the stuff that we have for Schatzi isn't the chicken meal. It's a lamb & rice formula. We also found some Sweet Potato and some sort of fish formula too. She doesn't seem to do very well with chicken.. Is this any better?

I checked out those websites and it looked like there were only a few of these brands available in my area (Michigan):

Natural Balance, Old Mother Hubbard, and Canidae (sp?). Would it be beneficial to my dog to switch from California Natural to one of these brands? She seems to be doing ok now with the lamb but now with all of this talk about dog foods, I'm not sure anymore! I want to be feeding her the best that I can without spending tons of money and works just as good. Adding another dog into the mix brings up concerns about food now. Do people commonly switch between different formulas to give a better variety, or stick to one?

Also check out alot of the previous threads on this food forum. There's alot of good information here. Prin is the dry food guru and technodoll the raw food guru.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rainbow

I know California Natural doesn't use menadione in their chicken and rice formula so I presume they don't use it in their lamb and rice formula.

The only way of knowing for sure is to check the bag or give them a call (1-800-532-7261)

Rainbow- I happen to Agree with you - and I think most of the food out there is crap! My Pitt- had really bad allergies (food) wasnt sure if it was food at first but it was through a long process of elimination.
I had him on Purina chicken and oatmeal, Proplan ( I Think thats the name of it) Corn is very hard for the dogs to digest - its no good- Wheat, Soy, all stink for dogs and cause allergic reactions- grain

I SWITCHED MY PITT TO CANIDAE AND IT IS ONE (1) OF THE BEST FOODS ON THE MARKET AND HE HAS NOT SCRATCHED AT ALL HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS :

(A) ONE CABOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE UNIT (CMCU) IS THAT AMOUNT OF ENZYME WHICH LIBERATES ONE MICROMOLE OF REDUCING SUGAR( EXPRESSED AS GLUCOSE EQUIVALENTS) IN ONE MINUTE UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE ASSAY.

PROS:
THREE MEAT PRODUCTS IN FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS, LOW LEVEL OF GRAIN, USES GOOD QUALITY INGREDIENTS THROUGHOUT.

CONS: NONE

THE FIRST,SECOND, FIFTH, AND SEVENTH INGREDIENTS INT HE FOOD ARE ALL NAMED MEAT PRODUCTS, AND ALL IN MEAL FORM. THERE IS A FURTHER (FRESH) MEAT INGREDIENT 11TH ON THE INGREDIENT LIST, THOUGH THIS IS TOO FAR DOWN TO MAKE UP A SUBSTANTIVE PORTION OF THE FOOD

THE MAIN GRAIN IN THE FOOD IS RICE (TWO FORMS) THESE ARE WHOLE GRAINS THAT ARE LOW-ALLERGENIC AND A GOOD QUALITY SOURCE OF CARBOHYDRATES AND ADDITIONAL PROTEIN. THERE ARE NO FURTHER GRAINS IN THE FOOD FLAXSEED IS A GOOD QUALITY SOURCE OF OMEGA 6 AND OMEGA 3 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AS IS SUNFLOWER OIL, THERE IS A GOOD RANGE OF PROBIOTICS IN THE FOOD .

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT LOOKING FOOD WITH VERY GOOD MEAT CONTENT. THE ONLY GRAIN CONTAINED IN THE FOOD IS RICE AND THERE ARE NO GRAIN FRAGMENTS OR OTHER FILLERS.

Next the fox buries or hides the rest to stew a spell. What we call, "turning rancid" the fox calls, "just getting better". In a couple days, the live enzymes in the rabbit meat have broken it down into easily digested protein. Notice how no fire was used in this process? .

W4R, didn't you mention in a post that one of your cats bury their meat and go back to it the next day? Do all your cats do this and do they do it regularily?

ok i played around with different dog food sites yesterday.. so where does Accana fit on the list? (seamed ok to me) tee hee and i also compared the Hills to Ol Roys what do ya know they both have CORN as the first ingredient...
now about 9 to 10 years ago i did have a vet tell me to feed my dog proplan and did not recommend any of the stuff they stocked at there office.. so i am guess that must of been a good vet... (to bad they are in Peterborough, ONT)

I'm one of the pet lovers that always trusted the food manufacturers to provide a quality product, but over the past 5 years or so, more research into it made me want to puke. My little one, Tia, passed away but I realized too late that many of her issues were caused by what we were feeding her. Makes me want to cry to think of it.

Trying to find a vet that's educated enough about food is difficult to say the least. Started feeding raw to the little bugger we have now, but the vet wanted to put him on a hydrolyzed diet from Hills Diet as she thought he had allergies. I bought a few cans of wet just so I could get out of the sales pitch, and gave them away. Hydrolyzed is basically food molecules that are so small that the body can't recognize the protein? Yeah, it'll probably work for allergies, but jeepers, look at the ingredients.

He's been raw fed since mid December and loves it. Never really thought about raw foods until we started dealing with the minpin, always paid the price for the "top" brands, falling for the sales pitches in hopes that all would be good. Now i'm a believer in it and never will another animal of mine be fed commercial foods of any sort.